someone's second hand smoke.and my baby

[DianaMallory]

it's still THEIR yard. Sorry, if you came to me I'd tell you sorry, buy an AC unit. And I'm not even a smoker! You said that you put the new addition there and the fan unit because that is the coolest area/best breeze. That's probably why they are smoking there - because it is a cool and comfortable place.

People on this group tend to be very aware of attempts to remove personal freedom. While it doesn't hurt to ask, don't be surprised if the neighbor tells you to vacation someplace a little more tropical.....

Sorry but I had never heard that phrased like that before Vacation someplace a little more tropical! LOL!

 

[Mtn Laurel]

If you don't want animal control in your yard, with a tape measure, making sure you are 100% compliant with your chicken coop, I would find a different solution than discussing it with your smoker neighbor. They may smoke, but you're producing chicken manure. Both processes produce fumes which can cause health problems, if consumed in enough volume. That may seem a ridiculous comparison to you, but it might not to someone else.

Cadeschicks has the right idea. Close the windows on that side of the house and move on with your life.

Excellent point. If the OP's signature line is correct, she has 2 cats, 5 ducks and 3 geese on a 6,000 sq. ft. lot. I would imagine that the neighbor's certainly hear the ducks and geese every once in a while no doubt smell them, too.

Definitely not a good idea to make waves about odors when you have odor-making machines in your own back yard.

 

[DianaMallory]

Not that is has any relevance But I use to have a neighbor who's male cat use to spray my front porch, right next to my window and you know what that smell like coming in! I bought a squirt gun! Problem solved and no one got hurt!

 

[downsm75]

Not that is has any relevance But I use to have a neighbor who's male cat use to spray my front porch, right next to my window and you know what that smell like coming in! I bought a squirt gun! Problem solved and no one got hurt!

That, probably would not be a good idea lol. If I got shot with a water gin, not knowing exactly WHAT they were shooting out of it, I may be upset enough to file criminal charges.
Louisville Ky is a non smoking city, meaning smokers can't smokein INSIDE public areas. Most places have a designated area for us smokers to smoke in... Believe it or not, non smokers come and sit in a smoking area and complain about cigarette smoke. I think some non smokers have become light in the mind about smelling it just because they know someone is smoking on another side of the street or 1 million feet from them. Non smokers have become plumb nasty about people who do smoke.

 

[OldGuy43]

Dear OP,

If I were you I'd be more worried about Sulfur Dioxide, Ozone and the air quality index in general there in Orange County.

Now as to your personal situation, I see three possible scenarios:

Scenario One:
You had a baby and than moved into your current home without realizing that you had a chain-smoking neighbor. (Highly unlikely!)

Scenario Two:
Your neighbor went from non-smoker to chain-smoker nine weeks ago right after you had your baby. (Again, highly unlikely!)

Scenario Three:
You knew you had a chain-smoking neighbor, knew you couldn't afford air conditioning and went ahead and had a baby anyway. Now you feel everyone around you should change their life choices to suit your prejudices.

 

[Dwkuska]

I know the responsibility to take action is mine...that's why I am being proactive and also asking for ideas. The harrassment goes either way depending on how harmful you perceive smoking to be. California is not a smoker friendly place...we have a ton of prohibitive smoking laws and pioneered many. Smoking is hazardous to the smoker and anyone around....I think my yelling out of frustration that someone is smoking within 10 feet of my windows and newborn is a little less hazardous to the health of others than the smoke is.
My property rights defend my safety from toxic substances....so I do have the legal upper hand.

First I am wondering how close is your house to your neighbors that you are bothered by smoke from possibly 3 doors down? I would suggest closing your window to your room, I cant imagine 1 person smoking is enough to fill your entire house with a smokey smell. Btw reagarding the smoking being hazardous to everyone... only one i hear syaing that is California SUrgeon general who last time I checked had cancer warnings on just about everything. I went to LA last year and was appalled that everything in my room had some health warning. I dont think its the smoke... I think its california thats bad for your health!

 

[katescountryfarm]

When my son was born our neighbor would chain smoke, hack up a lung, drink wine all day AND swim naked. We lived in a town home where we were connected. When we looked out our second story window all we saw was her! I ended up just dealing with it. Eventually we sold the home because our family grew. I wouldn't recommend saying anything that was a bad move my husband made.

 

[Carols Clucks]

Some one touched on a good point, the smoker might have decided that their side of the wall closest to your coop was a good place for things that smell.

A lot of times it is easier to see what others are doing that is annoying than look in the mirror and see what we do that they might find annoying. If your contractor was off 1" on your addition, making too big of a fuss could cost you way more than an ac unit.


Another thought is to plant a row of appropriate trees/shrubs etc to both filter some of the air and to bloom or have a scent that covers the smoke.

Personally, I think spraying chemicals in to your air to cover other chemicals is probably not the way to go either.

 

[sezjasper]

This thread has really piqued my interest because I am a smoker and any day now, I expect the law to allow smokers to be shot on the streets. If one of my neighbors told me about this problem and asked me to smoke elsewhere in my yard, or not smoke at all, I would not be receptive IF this was the first interaction I had had with that neighbor. If it was a neighbor I was already on friendly terms with, I would do what I could to accommodate the request. But to stop smoking in my yard altogether? Sorry, that wouldn't happen.

This conversation got me wondering if there existed some sort of filters that could be installed on open windows, like HEPA filters instead of window screens. Turns out there is a company called Safeguard that sells window screens with filters that you can wash and/or replace as needed. They are advertised to keep pollen out of homes for allergy sufferers, but maybe they would do the trick with whatever particles come from cigarette smoke, too. It may be worth trying.

 

[MsBagawkbagawk]

Well, she did say she was just going to ask the neighbor to smoke farther away from the house, which I would think is pretty reasonable. But I wouldn't ever expect someone to quit smoking just for this.